Regency High Society Vol 7: A Reputable Rake / The Heart's Wager / The Venetian's Mistress / The Gambler's Heart

Above the din of fleeing bodies, Elliot’s voice could be heard. ‘Lucy! Lucy!’

‘Oh, my goodness! The fire! We must find them!’ Morgana pulled away. ‘They were abovestairs. Cripps, too!’

Sloane held on to her. ‘You do not have to save them, Morgana. Cripps created the diversion. Elliot and your footman will save them.’

She looked at him with a puzzled expression.

‘Come.’ He kept one arm around her and led her to the door.

When they made it to the outside, a crowd had gathered and the bell of a fire brigade could be heard.

‘Oh, I hope no one is hurt!’ Morgana looked up at smoke pouring from the high windows. ‘Lucy! Katy!’

‘Make haste, Morgana. You do not want to be seen here.’ Through the nearby alley, he took her to the back of the house. ‘No one will be hurt, love. It is smoke, not fire. Cripps set it off.’

‘Cripps?’ She gaped at him and suddenly laughed. ‘You are very clever, are you not?’

He gave her a very hard, very relieved kiss. ‘Damned clever!’ He grabbed her arm and the two of them hurried away.

‘Gracious, look what we got!’ Katy ran up to them, the footman at her side, carrying Mrs Rice’s metal box. ‘I saw her coming and tripped her. She let go of the box and I grabbed it!’

‘Oh, Katy!’ Morgana enfolded the girl in her arms.

‘Well done, Katy,’ Sloane said.

They walked to the area behind a storage shed where Rose anxiously waited. ‘Miss Hart, oh, are you all right?’

Morgana, Rose and Katy hugged each other.

Cripps stood nearby, looking very smug. ‘Had the devil of a time finding a way to set a candle under the bag, but Miss Katy and I worked it out.’

‘You did very well.’ Sloane shook the man’s hand. ‘Where is Elliot? Did he find Lucy?’

Morgana broke away. ‘Lucy?’

Cripps gestured to the side of the shed where Elliot and Lucy clung to each other. Elliot held her face in his hands and was raining kisses on it.

‘Oh, my!’ Morgana said.

‘Looks pleasant enough.’ Sloane grabbed Morgana and gave her a kiss that heated her from top to toe. She was breathless when he released her.

‘We have to leave.’ He called to Elliot. ‘Come on! This way.’

Their homecoming in Morgana’s drawing room was full of joyful tears. Miss Moore clasped Morgana against her bosom, tears streaming down her cheeks. Morgana’s grandmother smiled and said, ‘Lovely to see you, my dear.’ Amy had an equally tearful reunion with her sister and then insisted Morgana come with her to be tidied up.

Morgana had no wish to be separated from Sloane for even a flick of an eye, but knew she must look a fright. Besides, she quite longed to feel clean again.

As Amy helped her wash and chattered on about how surprising it was that Lucy and Mr Elliot had fallen in love and how grateful she was to Sloane for saving her sister, all Morgana could think of was wanting to return to Sloane’s side.

He came to save them all. As much as she’d hurt him that morning, he still came to rescue them. Morgana’s hands went to her throat, remembering the moment she’d thought she’d taken her last breath. Sloane had saved her.

‘You are bruised all over, Miss Hart,’ Amy said, though it was no news to Morgana, who felt each and every one.

She glanced in the mirror. Even by candlelight, she could see the ugly black circle around her eye. She shook her head. It did not matter. Nothing mattered except that everyone was safe. Sloane had seen to it.

‘Oh, do hurry, Amy,’ Morgana said.